999 Miles to Go
by s1ncer1ty
Summary: Ayame wants nothing more than to spend some Quality Time (tm) with his brother Yuki. Yuki wants nothing more than to strangle Ayame. Can even a near-death experience bridge that gap?


"999 Miles to Go"  
by s1ncer1ty

_~*~ _

_i'll be there when the world stops turning  
i'll be there when the storm is through   
in the end i want to be standing at the beginning   
with you _

_~ donna lewis and richard marx _

_~*~ _

This was all Shigure's fault. 

Yuki had spent the better portion of the car ride staring out the window, envisioning the various ways he planned to torture his cousin once he managed to escape. It had been Shigure's idea that he take the journey out to the Sohma hot springs for some rest and relaxation. He'd been so very tense, what with final exams just around the corner, Shigure claimed, and so he had made arrangements for a weekend away from home. 

Somehow, Yuki had missed the gleam of mischief in his cousin's eye until it was too late. 

Little did Yuki know, after a giggling Shigure literally manhandled him into the vehicle that arrived to pick him up, that the figure behind the wheel was not Hatori, as he'd anticipated, but was instead his older brother, grinning and squealing excitedly like a member of his 'fan club' at school. Something about hot springs and Quality Time (tm). If it weren't for the power locks, Yuki would have been immediately out the door and wiping that devious smirk from Shigure's face. As it was, he could only press his hands to the window and glare darkly at the gleefully waving Shigure as Ayame peeled away. 

Despite what the weather forecasts had predicted, the evening rain wasn't letting up. And neither was Ayame. 

"...So, naturally, I found myself at the tip of the iceberg of _scandal_! I told the parents, 'As your student council president, I _demand_ that all students opting out of sexual education be brought to _me_ for their own private study hall!' Of course, this went over _terribly_, and Hatori again had to step in with words to soothe in the way only Hatori can! And _furthermore_..." 

Shigure was _so_ dead. 

As the trees that lined the edge of the road whizzed by, the tires spinning wetly against soaked pavement, Yuki imagined how exactly he'd go about it. A kick to the head would be all too swift, but perhaps if he managed to hold his cousin down, pin him to the bed and twist until the uncontrollable laughter at Yuki's anger faded into nothing... It couldn't be quick -- for Shigure deserved as much torture for his trick as he was going through now. 

"Ne, Yuki~kun?" 

Jolted somewhat from his reverie, Yuki lifted his chin from his hand and turned to face his brother with an inward cringe. "Yes?" 

Ayame's teeth, reflected in the streetlights, were altogether too white. "I was asking you what you thought of my story of how I, _single-handedly_, drove the marching band's bus through the flooded creek and saved the entire music education department!" 

"It's too bad you didn't drown in the process," Yuki muttered. 

Ayame let out a loud, absorbed laugh. "Don't be _silly_, amusingly naïve younger brother of mine! I'm a perfectly _fine_ driver! I've an incredibly _safe_ driving record, even when behind the wheel of an enormous school bus!" 

"A pity your record isn't worse. I'd help you drive off a cliff." 

"You break my heart!" Ayame sniffed with a melodramatic sigh. "What a _horrible_ thing to say to your diligent, caring, trustworthy older brother!" 

Yuki scowled and turned his gaze to the outside, where the rain seemed to soak all of the world. Tomorrow, all would be green and lush, but for now, it was damp and miserable, his discomfort only amplified by the incessant pouting of his annoying brother. 

"Well, we'll fix that straightaway!" Ayame suddenly pulled the car to the side of the road, skidding slightly on damp pavement. As Yuki felt his heart start beating once again after such a jarring stop, he turned to find Ayame simply _beaming_ at him. 

"What? What is it you _want_?" snapped Yuki. 

"To think that you might drive off a cliff! This shows a distinct lack of responsibility on the part of your driver's education teachers! Never fear! For I shall take the reins in your education! Out with you! You, most undereducated and under-appreciated brother of mine, shall _drive_, with none other than myself as your exalted _teacher_!" 

"I already know how to drive. You couldn't teach a snake how to bite." 

"_Nonsense_!" Ayame exclaimed. "Why, I can teach anyone to drive! As a matter of fact, I was the one who taught 'Gure-san how to handle a vehicle!" 

"That's not saying a lot." 

Ayame tossed his long, silvery hair and laughed. "I'm sure after no less than five minutes behind the wheel, you'll find me the most _amazing_ of teachers! But you don't need to call me _sensei_ -- I'm much too humble for that!" 

"Good. Because I wasn't planning to call you that anyway." 

"Out with you! It will be a _wonderful brotherly bonding experience_!" With a bounce and a flourish, he threw open the driver's side door and flounced out into the rain. 

"I can't believe he's doing this to me," Yuki moaned, covering his face with a hand. "What did I do to deserve this?" Another ten nasty things that he would inflict upon Shigure immediately came to mind. 

"Oh, Yu~ki!" Ayame tapped on the passenger window, grinning that same overly enthusiastic grin. "It's wet out here! We don't want my hair to get frizzy, do we?" 

"If you don't stop, I'll make you walk home." 

Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap. Tap, tap. "_Otouto~san_!" 

"Al-_right_!" In exasperation, Yuki threw open the door, hoping to catch Ayame in the gut, but he sidestepped at the last moment. With a shout of glee, Ayame swiftly took his place, as Yuki huddled against the rain on his way to the driver's seat. If it weren't so damp, and they weren't so far away, he'd take the opportunity to run home. 

"Now, the first thing you'll want to do is adjust the seat. Perhaps you'll grow as tall as your brother once you're older, but in the meantime..." 

"I _know_ what I'm doing, Ayame. I've driven before." 

In several sharp, annoyed motions, Yuki adjusted the seat and the mirrors, and then clicked his seatbelt into place. It was true -- he had driven before; however, as Shigure had no car and town was within walking distance, he'd had little need to take to the roads on a daily basis. The car was unfamiliar to him, but he'd catch on. With Ayame seeking to 'teach' him, he'd _have_ to become familiar with it quickly. 

"Pull out slowly -- use your blinker. Oh, this is so much _fun_!" Ayame practically bounced with happiness. "Watching my little brother grow and learn under the tutelage of a master driver!" 

"Shut up, Ayame, unless you really want me to drive you off a cliff." 

But Ayame didn't bother to shut his mouth, to Yuki's annoyance. Even when he turned on the radio, his brother simply talked over the music, so after about five minutes, Yuki turned off the radio once again. It was better than hastening along the headache that was already building at his temples. 

And as Yuki drove, slowly at first, on Ayame just rambled, flitting from subject to subject, all starring himself and his mighty ego. At least it had very little to do with driving. And at least Yuki could concentrate on the windshield wipers as they flicked away the rain, the lines that sped past along the nearly deserted back road to the Sohma estate. It almost drowned out his brother. 

After a time, Yuki grew comfortable enough with the vehicle that he put on a little more speed. Anything to get to their destination faster, where maybe -- just maybe -- he could lock himself up in his room and hide for the remainder of the weekend. Or think of more evil things to do to Shigure when he returned home. 

The road began to twist, soft curves at first as it snaked its way up an incline. For a brief moment, Ayame paused, murmuring, "Slowly, Yuki~kun. The curve coming up is a little tight." Then, on he went again, loudly boasting, "I recall one time when Shigure, with Hatori and myself as his passengers, took this curve..." 

Yuki rolled his eyes and, partly out of spite, accelerated, trying to rev the engine enough to drown out Ayame's incessant talking. He _knew_ what he was doing. But the curve in the road was sharp, suddenly sharper than he had expected, and with a gasp he felt the car beginning to skid. "A-Aya!" he cried, the wheel spinning from his hands beyond his control. His breath was gone -- he couldn't even scream. 

Ayame's self-absorbed prattle died upon his lips, and he leaned over to grasp the wheel. His knuckles whitened as he struggled to keep the car from flying off the road. It was skidding, spinning, circling fast -- if another car were coming from either direction, they would be in a world of hurt. 

Yuki's foot let off the gas, but Ayame exclaimed, "Don't slam on the brake!" Both hands fixed upon the wheel, the seatbelt taut across his chest as it snapped into place, pinning him. 

The car spun, slowed, yet somehow Ayame kept it on the road, out of the ditch at the outskirts of the shoulder. At some point, even as the car seemed to be sailing of its own accord, he pried a white-knuckled hand from the wheel, brought it down on the emergency brake, and pulled up sharply. 

The car stopped with a jolt, and it took what felt like an eternity before Yuki could bring himself to open his eyes. They were in the shoulder, the car at a sharp angle, yet somehow facing the right direction. 

When it was all over, silence fell between them, with only the rain upon the car's roof and the soft, stunted gasps of Yuki's breathing between them. Quietly shivering and paler than ever, Ayame placed a hand atop his forehead, hiding his eyes with long fingertips, and stayed that way for a long while. 

Finally, he raised his head, raking both hands through the silver of his hair, and said softly, "Maybe I should take the wheel again." 

Yuki said nothing, only swallowed hard and nodded, wide-eyed. Woodenly, he clasped the handle with a shaking hand and staggered out into the rain as he and Ayame switched places. 

The silence only deepened, widening the gap between the two exponentially, once Ayame returned to the driver's seat. On came the radio, though soft, and up went the windows and the heat, full blast. With trembling fingers, Yuki fumbled at the top button of his shirt until it came undone. He felt as if he were suffocating. 

Slowly, Ayame spun the steering wheel and pulled back onto the road. 

"Ayame?" 

"Hmm?" 

"_Gomen nasai_." Whispered, barely audible. But sincere. 

Ayame regarded his brother for a moment before reaching over and, to his chagrin, giving Yuki's hair a good, solid tousle. "There's nothing to be sorry for. You did splendidly, given the direness of the situation." 

"But I almost _killed_ us both!" 

At that, Ayame let out a sharp, loud chuckle. "Please, for the sheer number of times Shigure nearly had the car literally wrapped around a tree... I remember one time when I tried ever so desperately to teach our poor cousin --" 

Yuki sighed, deeply. Even after a near-death experience, Ayame never stopped, did he? 

Ayame paused. "You really don't want to hear this, do you?" 

"No! I mean, yes!" Yuki sat up straighter in his seat and adjusted the seatbelt. His hands had begun to lose their tremble. And his brother had just saved his life. He deserved better than a condescending sigh. "I'd like to hear it." 

"You would...?" He blinked, and laughed again, this time louder, causing Yuki to cringe down in his seat. "Oh, but of _course_ you would! It's but another way of showing your sincerest admiration and awe of your magnificent older brother! Why, by my hand alone, I've made such infinite strides towards bridging that _widest_ of _gaps_ between us! Of all the things I have done, I pride myself most on my --" 

"Ayame?" Yuki interrupted through softly gritted teeth. 

Ayame's eyes sparkled. "Yes, most attentive and entranced brother of mine?" 

"Could you turn down the heat, please? I think I'm about to melt." 

"How insensitive!" Ayame sniffed. "Show a little consideration! I wouldn't want to catch a chill in this rain!" 

"'_Nii~san_," Yuki hissed, eyes cold, "I can't _breathe_!" 

"And I don't want to --" The retort died fast upon his lips, and Ayame went suddenly, jarringly silent. Without another word, he touched the button the driver's side of the door, letting down the passenger window halfway. 

Yuki blinked, stunned at his brother's sudden silence. "Wait -- you were saying...?" 

Ayame murmured, his voice much gentler, "That I wouldn't want to transform while behind the wheel. But... it's more important that you don't get ill." 

"No! I --" Yuki bit his lower lip and rolled the window up most of the way, leaving a one-inch crack at the top. At the same time, he touched the heat vents before him, directing them towards the driver's seat. "I'm not having that much trouble breathing." 

"And I'm not that cold." 

"Thank you." 

Ayame smiled. "Thank _you_." 

Again, silence, save for the rain pattering down upon the roof of the car, the swish of the wiper-blades against cold glass. Ayame was quiet, a tiny smile on his lips and a wistful expression in his golden eyes. And, Yuki decided, a silent Ayame was much, much more frightening than the ecstatic whirlwind he normally was. 

Yuki couldn't take it. 

"Okay! Tell the story!" he exclaimed, burying his face in his hands. 

"Oh! I thought you'd _never_ ask! The night was young, dark and overcast, much like this one, the burgeoning clouds threatening to burst forth in chilling rain the entire evening! But naturally, it being a Saturday night, your cousins and I desired what all young men desired -- _romance_! The dreadful problem being transportation! You see, the transit buses had shut down due to an _egregious_ workers' strike, and 'Gure-san suggested we take the Sohma family car..." 

And, as his older brother pressed forward, his voice resounding throughout the entire vehicle, Yuki stared fast out the window once more. Inwardly, he reminded himself once again how much he intended to hurt Shigure the very moment he returned home. But, he reflected, he wouldn't hurt him terribly; after all, for all the trouble Ayame was worth, this wasn't a complete waste of a trip. As much as he hated to admit it, something -- precarious and delicately constructed -- had been partially bridged. 

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. 

_Indeed_. 

~*~ 

_life is a road now and forever   
wonderful journey _

_~*~ _


End file.
